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» English, Science topics

English, Science topics

Fusion in the Universe: gamma-ray bursts

Henri Boffin from ESOw1 in Garching, Germany, follows the mystery of gamma-ray bursts from their first discovery to the most recent research on these dramatic astronomical explosions.

What do we know about climate? The evidence for climate change


In the first of two articles, climate researcher Rasmus Benestad from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute examines the evidence for climate change.

Small molecules make scents


Angelika Börsch-Haubold demonstrates the olfactory delights of organic chemistry.

Fusion in the Universe: when a giant star dies...

Artist’s impression of a Type Ia supernova explosion

Péter Székely from the University of Szeged, Hungary, and Örs Benedekfi from the European Fusion Development Agreement in Garching, Germany, investigate how a star dies and what a nearby supernova explosion would mean for us on Earth.

Why biodiversity research keeps its feet dry

Some biodiversity researchers do get their feet wet. For instance, in sea-grass meadows (with Posidonia) near the coast of Mallorca, Spain

Marine ecologists Iris Hendriks, Carlos Duarte, and Carlo Heip ask why – despite its importance – research into marine biodiversity is so neglected.

Taking the stress out of engineering

Stress cracks in nature: the natural growth pattern of a tree causes residual stresses in the wood of the trunk. When the trunk is felled and the wood begins to dry, these stresses can overcome the strenght of the wood and lead to significant cracks

Darren Hughes from the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France takes a look at stress. How can it be manipulated to make safer rails for trains or more efficient wind turbines – and what can we learn from neutron- and X-ray analysis?

Plastics, naturally

Professor Colin Webb

We sit on them, wear them and cook with them: plastics are everywhere. Yet this very versatility and abundance makes it all the more difficult to produce and dispose of plastics in environmentally friendly ways. David Bradley explains how researchers at the University of Manchester, UK, are among those working on a solution.

Fusion in the Universe: where your jewellery comes from

Image caption

Does alchemy sound too good to be true? Paola Rebusco, Henri Boffin and Douglas Pierce-Price, from ESO in Garching, Germany, describe how creating gold – and other heavy metals – is possible, though sadly not in the laboratory.

Damn lies

More than the average number of ears?

Do you have more than the average number of ears? Is your salary lower than average? When will the next bus arrive? Ben Parker attempts to convince us of the value of statistics – when used correctly.

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